Apparatus for tension control of tubular textile fabrics



March 27, 1956 s, COHN ET AL.

APPARATUS F OR TENSION CONTROL OF' TUBULAR TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May l5. 1951 a WN E NE United States Patent() APPARATUS FOR TENSION CONTROL F TUBULAR TEX'HLE FABRICS Samuel Cohn and Jules G. Walter, New York, N. Y., as-

signors to Sarncoe Holding Corporation, Woodside, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 15, 1951, Serial No. 226,481

Claims. (Cl. 242-75) This invention relates to the treatment of tubular textile fabrics, and particularly to a method of and apparatus for controlling the winding of the fabric following treatment thereof. j

ln nishing tubular textile fabrics, after various preliminary treatments, the fabric may be subjected to steaming, calendering, etc., which is designed to spread the fabric, eliminate later shrinkage, land to deliver the fabric in a smooth condition, ready for cutting into garments. Usually the finished fabric is wound on a mandrel by surface contact with a driven roll, with the object of compensating for the increasing diameter of the roll of fabric as it winds. It has been found, however, that if the driven roll is operated at a constant speed, the winding will not be uniform because f the varying conditions of tension in the fabric as it is fed to the winding mechanism.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for controlling the winding of the finished fabric so that uniform Winding is accomplished.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of the treating apparatus embodying the invention as is necessary for an understanding thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the driving means which controls the peripheral speed of the driven roll which winds the fabric; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the wind-up end of a slightly modified mechanism similar to Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the machine may be supported on a suitable frame (not shown) affording bea.- ings for the various shafts and rollers supported thereon. The fabric 5 is fed from any suitable source such as a roll, a pile or merely loose material in rope form as delivered from a preliminary treatment. The fabric passes over a roll 6, the surface of which is preferably rough in order that it may feed the fabric uniformly Without slipping. A coating of aloxite or emery or other suitable material will suffice for this purpose. From the roll 6, the fabric 5 is looped under a dancer roll 7 which is mounted on an arm 8 pivoted at 9 on the frame of the machine and partially supported by a movable counterweight 10. The arm 8 carries a bell crank 11 which contains a stud 12 around which revolves a combination variable pitch V-belt pulley 13. The pulley 13 is connected by a V-belt 14 to a pulley 15 on the shaft of the roll 6, and the pulley 13 is connected by a V-belt 16 to a pulley 17 on a shaft 18. A pulley 19 is connected by a V-belt 20 to a pulley 21 on the main shaft 22 of the machine which is driven at a constant speed from any suitable source of power. Thus, depending upon the tension of the fabric 5, as it passes under the dancer roll 7, the arm 8 will swing on its pivot and the combination variable pitch pulley 13, as the result of tensioning and slackening of the belts 14 and 16, will impart to the roll 6 a variable peripheral speed which is constantly adjusted as the tension of the fabric 5 changes.

The fabric 5 passes over and under a plurality of idler rolls 23 and thence to the spreader 24 which spreads and advances the fabric through the machine. Such spreaders and the means for driving them are well known in the art, and we may employ, for example, the structure illustrated and described in our Patent No. 2,228,001, issued January 7, 1941, or any modified structure adapted to perform the desired function. The spreader and propeller may be driven by rolls 25 which engage the propeller through the fabric and cause the fabric to advance while the propeller remains stationary between the layers of the fabric. Drive rolls 25 may in turn be driven through interconnecting gear transmissions 25' from main drive shaft 22 byfmeans of a belt 25" connecting the latter to the input of one gear transmission.

The fabric may besubjected to a'ny suitable treatment, for example, steaming by the application of steam from the boxes 26 arranged above and below the fabric. These boxes may be of the construction illustrated and described in our Patent No. 2,602,314, issued July 8, 1952, or any modicationor substitute therefor may be employed.

Following the steaming operation, the fabric may be delivered through idler rollers 27. These rollers are mounted in sensitive anti-friction bearings, since they are driven vby the fabric and must exert no drag thereon. Thence, the fabric passes under a dancer roll 28 supported on one arm 29 of a bell crank type lever which is pivoted at 30 on the frame of the machine. The other arm 31 of the bell crank type lever supports a combination variable speed V-belt pulley 32. One side of the variable pitchcombination pulley 32 is connected by a V-belt 34 to a pulley 35 on the shaft 1S. The other side of pulley 32 is connected by a V-belt 36 to a pulley 37 on the driven roll 38 which supports the roll 39 of fabric on a. mandrel 40 and winds up the fabric as it advances. Since the roller 28 rests upon the fabric 5, it is influenced by -the tension thereon, and, as it moves, the bell crank type lever shifts and varies the tension in the belts 34 and 36. This variation in tension results in modifying the peripheral speed of the roll 38 in accordance with variations in tension in the fabric 5. Thus, las the fabric advances, the peripheral speed of the roll 38 is continuously changed to meet the condition of tension in the fabric 5 and a uniform wind-up of the fabric is accomplished. A counterweight W is carried by an extension of arm 29 and weighs slightly less than enough to overcome the pivotal effect on the bell crank type lever of the weight of the dancer roll 28 and its supporting arm 29.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing, the feeding and treatment of the fabric is as described in connection with Fig. 1. In this case, however, the fabric 41, after passing the idler rolls 42, passes over a dancer roll 43. The dancer roll is supported on one arm 44 of a bell crank type lever pivoted on the frame at 45. The other arm 46 of the bell crank type lever supports a combination variable pitch pulley 47. One side of the pulley 47 is connected by a V-'belt 49 to the source of power and the other side of pulley 47 is connected by a V-belt 50 to a pulley 51 which drive-s the ro1l52. The latter is in contact with the roll of fabric 53 on the mandrel 54. Thus as in the preceding case, the peripheral speed of the roll 52 is governed by the tension of the fabric acting upon the dancer roll 43 which, shifting constantly, varies the tensions in the belts 49 and 50 and consequently modies the peripheral speed of the roll 52. A counterweight W is carried by an extension of arm 44 and weighs slightly more than enough to overcome the pivotal effect on the bell crank type lever of the weight of the dancer roll 43 and its supporting arm 44. It has been found that the structure as shown in Pig. 3 is slightly preferable to that shown in Fig. 1 with respect to uniformity of winding, possibly because the fabric 41 first contacts the roll 53 kbefore it engages the roll S2, Whereas in Fig. 1 the fabric rst engages the roll 38, before it engages roll 39. However, both modifications of the device effect a marked improvement in the uniformity with which the fabric is rolled following treatment.

Various changes may be made in the structure as described without departing from the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

We claim:

l. In an apparatus for handling textile fabric, the combination of a driven roll, a wind-up mandrel supporting the fabric in contact with the driven roll, a drive pulley, a variable speed pulley, a pair of drive belts connecting the driven roll and the drive pulley respectively to the variable speed pulley, a substantially bell crank type lever supporting on one of its `ari-ns the variable speed pulley, a dancer roll mounted on the other arm of said lever and engaging the fabric before it is wound, and a counterweight supported by said bell crank type lever to oppose the pivotal elfect of the weight of the dancer and its supporting arm on the lever, whereby the peripheral speed of the driven roll is controlled by the tension of the fabric.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the axis of the variable speed pulley lies substantially in the plane of the axes of the driven roll and the drive pulley.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the dancer rides on top of the fabric and the weight of the counterweight is slightly less than enough to overcome the pivotal effect on the bell crank type lever of the Weight of the dancer and its supporting arm.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the dancer engages the underside of the fabric and the weight of the counterweight is slightly greater than that required to overcome the pivotal effect on the bell crank type lever of the weight of the dancer and its supporting arm.

5. In an apparatus for handling textile. fabric the combination of a driven roll, a wind-up mandrel supporting the fabric in contact with the driven roll, a drive pulley, a variable speed pulley, a pair of drive belts connecting the driven roll and the drive pulley respectively to the variable speed pulley, a pivoted lever supporting on one of its arms the variable speed pulley, and a dancer roll mounted on the other arm of said lever and engaging the fabric before it is wound, whereby the peripheral speed of the driven roll is controlled by the tension of the fabric.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,093,913 Church Apr. 21, 1914 1,093,933 Jenkins Apr. 21, 1914 2,171,741 Cohn et al. Sept. 5, 1939 2,175,551 Perry ocr. 1o, 1939 2,181,373 Kent Nov. 28, 1939 2,222,462. Kaddeland Nov. 19, 1940 2,670,907 Huck Mar. 2, 1954 

